Adventure Comics #529 Review

Does the last issue for the Legion Academy make the grade?

Writer Paul Levitz draws the blinds on the Legion Academy in this, the last issue of Adventure Comics. The low throb of dramatic tension, building slowly over the last few issues, comes to a head here, as the unlikely young heroes of the series are thrust into action by their circumstances. The result is a bittersweet but agreeable send-off for the book's cast of characters.

After infiltrating Legion Headquarters and defeating the Legion Academy instructors, Cosmic King needs only to dispatch the remaining Legionnaires-in-training to gain access to the Legion's cache of technology. The reader never really has reason to question the outcome of the ensuing battle, but Levitz does a fair job of illustrating just how far the odds are skewed against the Legion hopefuls. Variable Lad's involvement in the final resolution of the conflict is a bit hackneyed, but it is also fitting for a series that has relied so heavily on archetype and iconography.

The artwork by Geraldo Borges and Marlo Alquiza is dynamic and exciting in this issue, and it contributes to all aspects of the story. The battle sequences are brought to life by their perspective shots, and, even with detailed action in the foreground, attention to the background is not forgotten. As the battle reaches its climax, the colors shift to bright pinks and greens, helping to capitalize on the emotional potential of the scene. This is nicely contrasted by the epilogue's relatively subdued colors and heavy inks.

The uncertainty that Levitz, Borges, and Alquiza paint over the book's cast is like a song's final and intentionally discordant tone, reminding the reader of both the happy and sad times for the Academy members' while giving a nod to the future. This is a fitting end for the series, but it's likely that fans will catch glimpses of Glorith, Comet Queen, and Chemical Kid down the road in the rebooted Legion of Super-Heroes.